Music News

04 Mar 2025

A Tribe Called Quest Drops Collab with HOMAGE: Here’s Where to Shop the NBA Collection Online

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As one of the most influential hip-hop groups of the ’90s, A Tribe Called Quest is no stranger to basketball. In fact, one of the group’s founding members, the late Phife Dawg, was a big fan of the New York Knicks, and he immortalized former Knicks shooting guard John Starks in the song “8 Million Stories” from their 1993 album Midnight Marauders.

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To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the group’s formation, A Tribe Called Quest partnered with the NBA for a new collection with sports apparel brand HOMAGE. Right now, the collection is 20% off list prices for a limited time.

The new NBA collection mashes up iconic lyrics from A Tribe Called Quest songs, like “We on Award Tour,” “I’m Above the Rim” and “Represent, Represent,” with NBA teams, including the Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, L.A. Lakers, Houston Rockets and much more.

There’s even new tees and hoodies showcasing Phife Dawg’s favorite NBA team, the New York Knicks.

Ahead, you’ll find our recommendations for A Tribe Called Quest x NBA collection from HOMAGE.

How to buy NBA x A Tribe Called Quest tees and hoodies online

HOMAGE

A Tribe Called Quest x Cleveland Cavaliers ‘Represent’ Tee

$30.40

$38

20% off

How to buy NBA x A Tribe Called Quest tees and hoodies online

HOMAGE

A Tribe Called Quest x New York Knicks ‘I’m Above The Rim’ Tee

$30.40

$38

20% off

How to buy NBA x A Tribe Called Quest tees and hoodies online

HOMAGE

A Tribe Called Quest x Golden State Warriors ‘We On Award Tour’ Tee

$30.40

$38

20% off

How to buy NBA x A Tribe Called Quest tees and hoodies online

HOMAGE

A Tribe Called Quest x Houston Rockets ‘Can I Kick It?’ Hoodie

$59.20

$74

20% off

How to buy NBA x A Tribe Called Quest tees and hoodies online

HOMAGE

A Tribe Called Quest x Los Angeles Lakers ‘We On Award Tour’ Hoodie

$59.20

$74

20% off

How to buy NBA x A Tribe Called Quest tees and hoodies online

HOMAGE

A Tribe Called Quest x Detroit Pistons ‘Represent’ Hoodie

$59.20

$74

20% off

As part of the collaboration, New York Times best-selling author Hanif Abdurraqib compares why A Tribe Called Quest and basketball go hand-in-hand.

“I came to the music of A Tribe Called Quest as a young guy, a short guy who played basketball — streetball — on the East Side of Columbus, Ohio,” says Abdurraqib. “What I loved about A Tribe Called Quest is the same thing I loved about what pushed me to thrive on the basketball court. You have to be inventive. You have to be innovative. You have to see a hundred different things inside of one thing. For me, there’s not just one move. There’s a movement that opens up several other movements.”

Still looking for your favorite NBA team? Shop A Tribe Called Quest x NBA collection at HOMAGE below.

Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.

04 Mar 2025

Sexyy Red, Ty Dolla $ign & Ski Mask The Slump God Joining Cast of ‘Rolling Loud’ Comedy Movie

Sexyy Red is heading to Hollywood. Big Sexyy, Ty Dolla $ign and Ski Mask The Slump God have reportedly been cast in the upcoming movie Rolling Loud.

Variety was first to report the news on Tuesday (March 4) of the hip-hop trio joining the comedy film named after the famed hip-hop festival, which also stars Henry Winkler, Matt Rife and Owen Wilson.

Per Variety, the film is based on a true story as an overprotective dad sneaks his son into a music festival, which results in a series of chaotic and reckless adventures.

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Production is already underway for Rolling Loud in Atlanta. American High CEO Jeremy Garelick is directing, producing and writing the R-rated movie while Live Nation Productions’ Ryan Kroft and Michael Rapino are on board as executive producers. UTA Independent Film Group is slated to release Rolling Loud in 2026.

Fittingly, Sexyy Red and Ski Mask The Slump God are on the bill for Rolling Loud California, which will take over Hollywood Park on March 15 and March 16.

With Owen Wilson’s involvement in the film, he made an appearance on stage during Travis Scott’s set at Rolling Loud Miami last year.

It’s the first feature-film role for the St. Louis-bred rapper. She delivered her In Sexyy We Trust album in 2024 and parlayed her momentum to the top of 2025 when Red connected with Bruno Mars for “Fat Juicy & Wet,” which sits at No. 70 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Ski Mask The Slump God returned in 2024 for his first album in six years with 11th Dimension while Ty Dolla $ign teamed up with Ye — formerly Kanye West — for a pair of Vultures collab albums last year, the first of which debuted atop the Billboard 200 and notched Hot 100 hit “Carnival.”

04 Mar 2025

Watch Rick Astley’s Acoustic Cover of Chappell Roan’s ‘Pink Pony Club’

No rick rolling here. Rick Astley took to his YouTube channel on Monday (March 3) to deliver a cover of Chappell Roan’s hit, “Pink Pony Club.”

In his version, the “Never Gonna Give You Up” star strips the song down to just an acoustic guitar, which he plays while using his characteristically deep vocals to perform the dream-filled lyrics. “I’m gonna keep on dancing down in West Hollywood/ I’m gonna keep on dancing at the Pink Pony Club,” he sings in the chorus.

The superstar performed the anthemic hit at the 2025 Grammy Awards, just before taking home the best new artist award.

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Following the performance, in February 2025, nearly two years after its release, “Pink Pony Club” hit the top 10 on the Hot 100, jumping from No. 18 to No. 9 and becoming Roan’s second career top 10 hit, and first from Midwest Princess. It currently sits at its new high, at No. 8 on the chart dated March 8, 2025.

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Just a month later, she took the stage with Elton John at the icon’s annual AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party to perform the hit together. “I would just like to say thank you, Elton, for believing in ‘Pink Pony Club.’ He played it first, y’all. And I’m so grateful that you would have me here,” Roan said to John onstage, before adding, “You have sacrificed so much for the queer community, and you made it so I could be the artist I could be.”

Roan’s also gearing up for her newest release, a track called “The Giver,” which she revealed will be arriving on March 13.

04 Mar 2025

LISA’s ‘Alter Ego’: Every Song Ranked

Rapper, vocalist and now actress LISA continues to expand her solo artistry with the highly anticipated project Alter Ego.

Fresh off her acting debut as Mook, a hotel staff member on HBO’s original hit series The White Lotus season three (which premiered Feb. 16), the Thai superstar leveraged the social satire’s cross-generational appeal to cement her status as a global star. Then came the BLACKPINK star’s performance at the Academy Awards on March 2, which made her the first K-pop artist to grace the Oscars stage.

And prior to that, the singer-actress kicked off the return of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in October, performing Alter Ego‘s lead single, “Rockstar.” LISA’s performance on the show makes her one of the women megastars who have taken the intimate clothing retailer’s stage over the years, joining the likes of Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande and others, further solidifying her trailblazing position in global pop culture.

Her debut solo album — which arrived Feb. 28 via LLOUD Co./RCA Records — further boosts her momentum. Pre-release singles such as the aforementioned “Rockstar,” “New Woman,” “Moonlit Floor (Kiss Me)” and “Born Again” generated huge excitement around the album, and the full project delivers versatility, which has been teased heavily during its promotion.

True to its title Alter Ego, LISA spent over a year crafting tracks for the set that embody her five alter egos: Roxi, Sunni, Kiki, Speedi and Vixi. The album weaves together the hip-hop, pop-rap, trap, electro-pop, ballads and dance-pop genres that she skillfully embodies, solidifying her status as both a star and a standout soloist of K-pop powerhouse BLACKPINK while showcasing her bold, energetic pop-rap sound and cementing her as one-of-a-kind K-pop solo artist.

Check out Billboard’s ranking of the songs on Alter Ego — not including “FXCK UP THE WORLD (Vixi Solo Version)” and “Rapunzel (Kiki Solo Version)” — below.

04 Mar 2025

Chappell Roan Announces ‘The Giver’ Release Date & Reveals Whether She’s Making a ‘Country Album’

Chappell Roan‘s long-awaited new single finally has a release date. After weeks of teasing — and nearly a year without new music — the pop star has finally announced when she’s dropping new single “The Giver,” and revealed whether or not she’s headed in a country direction on her next album.

Sharing a photo of herself dressed up in construction gear, Roan told followers on Instagram Tuesday (March 4) that the highly anticipated country-tinged track is arriving at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 13. “I have such a special place in my heart for country music,” she wrote. “I grew up listening to it every morning and afternoon on my school bus and had it swirling around me at bon fires, grocery stores and karaoke bars.”

“Many people have asked if this means I’m making a country album???” the Missouri native continued “My answer is.. hmm right now I’m just making songs that make me feel happy and fun and The Giver is my take on c–try xoxo may the classic country divas lead their genre, I am just here to twirl and do a little gay yodel for yall.”

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The song will mark Roan’s first release since “Good Luck, Babe!,” which she dropped in April last year. The track — which remains the only song she’s released since breakthrough 2023 album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess — peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September.

The Grammy winner has been teasing the arrival of “The Giver” for weeks, rolling out a series of characters — a lawyer, a plumber, a private investigator, and now, a construction worker — who can “get the job done” à la the lyrics on the track, which she debuted on Saturday Night Live in November. Fans have spotted the alter egos on billboards all around the country, as well as on Roan’s Instagram.

All of the personas correlate to different special versions of 7-inch single vinyls for “The Giver,” which are available for purchase on Roan’s website.

See Roan’s announcement below.

04 Mar 2025

Travis Scott Gave Cody Rhodes a Busted Eardrum & Black Eye During WWE Attack: Report

Travis Scott made his presence known at WWE’s Elimination Chamber on Saturday night (March 1) in Toronto — but he may have gone a bit overboard with his role in the beatdown of undisputed WWE champion Cody Rhodes.

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According to Wrestling Observer Radio‘s Dave Meltzer, Cody Rhodes suffered a busted eardrum and a Black eye at the hands of Travis Scott. While lying bloodied in the middle of the ring, a hapless Rhodes was slapped by Scott in the face.

Scott injected himself into one of the iconic images of wrestling’s 21st century with John Cena turning heel with some help from The Rock. Following Cena’s Elimination Chamber victory — guaranteeing him a title bout against Rhodes at Wrestlemania — the WWE superstars met in the middle of the ring.

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To the shock of the thousands in attendance, Scott made an appearance with his personalized Hardcore Championship belt in-hand, as “FE!N” boomed throughout the Rogers Centre for this theme song. He was quickly followed by The Rock.

Cena then flipped a friendly embrace into a cheap shot low-blow against Rhodes, which proceeded to turn into a bloody beatdown of the WWE champ. Scott delivered a harsh open-handed slap to Rhodes’ ear while The Rock joined in to whip the champ with his belt.

It remains to be seen if Rhodes’ in-ring work will be impacted, although he made a TV appearance during Monday Night RAW in Buffalo 48 hours after the attack.

Fans might even see Travis Scott make an appearance in a WWE match in the future. He’s reportedly been preparing for more work. “I’m going to the ring tomorrow. F–k you talking about,” he told WWE chief content officer Triple H in footage following his adrenaline-inducing Elimination Chamber appearance. Scott said it may even top the thrill of performing on stage.

La Flame has been a fixture on WWE this year. Scott’s “4×4” served as the new RAW theme song in January when the show switched over to Netflix. He even escorted Jey Uso to the ring for his match on Jan. 6 in Los Angeles.

Triple H teased in January that fans can expect to see even more of Travis Scott’s involvement. “Everybody should expect to see more things from Travis Scott in a big way,” he said.

Billboard has reached out to WWE for comment regarding Travis Scott and Cody Rhodes’ alleged injuries. Watch the full clip of Scott’s in-ring beatdown below.

04 Mar 2025

Dave Matthews, Nine Inch Nails, John Mayer & More Join Help on the Way Initiative for LA Fire Relief

A number of stars are continuing to give back to the Los Angeles community following the devastating fires earlier this year via a new initiative, called Help on the Way LA.

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Th initiative is organized by Eric “Kraz” Krasno in partnership with the Song Summit Foundation and Fandiem, and is working to rally musicians and fans to provide urgent support for children and musicians who lost everything in the natural disaster.

Among the stars joining Help on the Way LA include Billy Strings, Dave Matthews, John Mayer, Mick Fleetwood, Mick Fleetwood, Nine Inch Nails, Phish’s Trey Anastasio, Warren Haynes, Wynonna Judd, Zac Brown and many more.

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Beneficiaries of Help on the Way LA include the Pasadena Boys & Girls Club, which is providing support to children who lost their schools and homes, and Sweet Relief, which is working to aid musicians who lost their homes and instruments.

“As many of you know, our neighborhood was nearly destroyed by the Eaton fire. My son’s school burned, and countless friends lost their homes and surrounding community. In the midst of the madness, I decided to reach out to friends in the music community to raise some money and help those in need,” Krasno said in a press statement.

Paige Anderson, founder of Song Summit Foundation, added, “We believe in the power of music to bring people together, heal, and create real impact. The devastation caused by the LA fires has left so many in need, and as a foundation dedicated to using music for wellness and community support, we feel compelled to act. This benefit concert and auction will not only raise critical funds for those affected but also serve as a reminder of the strength and resilience that music can inspire in times of crisis.”

Fans can donate via Fandiem here for a chance to win prizes and experiences from artists including signed guitars from Anastasio, Matthews, Fleetwood, Mayer, Brown, Judd and more; a signed print from Phish’s Mike Gordon; a signed photo from Bob Weir and much more.

More prizes will be announced in the coming weeks.

04 Mar 2025

Meek Mill Offers to ‘Compare Lives’ With a Critic After Being Called ‘Slow’

Meek Mill asked a user on X if they would like to “compare lives” after he was called “slow.”

Over the weekend, the Philadelphia rapper shared a picture of himself on stage during a prison reform panel alongside Jay-Z, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin, and news pundit Van Jones with a caption that explained why he chooses to wear hoodies to speaking engagements over suits.

“I have 100 suits,” he wrote. “Nobody will ever notice that I wear hoodies to most speaking engagements on purpose so they can see me as a black man from the streets! Rip to Trayvon [Martin]!”

His statement about wearing hoodies over suits triggered one person into calling Meek “a special kind of slow,” which incited the rapper to list some accomplishments while also offering up a challenge. “I have millions in my bank account,” Meek began. “respected by the streets and the wealthy … with over $30 million raised to fight the system with reform… all houses owned from my [grandmom] and mom… and I look out for my community … let’s compare lives right here in front of the world lol.”

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Meek then elaborated on why he chooses not wear suits and referenced an old Birdman clip from an Angie Martinez radio interview. “First time I seen a black man in a suit was in a casket,” he said. “I used to be scared to dress up! If you didn’t come from that you wouldn’t understand what I’m talking about at all! It’s cool.”

Mill recently revisited losing his father to gun violence when he was just a kid on Fridayy’s latest single “Proud of Me.” On the track, Meek raps, “I’m hangin’ out where my daddy lost his life and I’m aware of that/You had taught me how to fight/and when you got shot, I thought about that shit every night and got a Glock/I was hot, but I ain’t stop/I just bought your mama spot.”

Meek’s work with the Reform Alliance has created real results as the prison reform initiative helped change probation laws in Pennsylvania back in 2023.

Check out Meek’s posts below:

04 Mar 2025

Drake’s Lawyers Cite Kendrick’s Halftime Show in Defamation Lawsuit Over ‘Not Like Us’

A federal judge is refusing to allow Universal Music Group (UMG) to delay the start of Drake’s defamation lawsuit over Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” — a decision that came after Drake’s lawyers filed court documents complaining about Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show.

In a decision issued Tuesday (Mar. 4), Judge Jeannette Vargas denied UMG’s bid to postpone an initial hearing set for next month. The judge said that if UMG wants to push back the case — which claims “Not Like Us” defamed Drake by calling him a pedophile — it can argue for that request at the April hearing.

The procedural ruling came after Drake’s attorneys warned that further delays to the lawsuit would be unfair to their client, who they say is facing ongoing harm as the case works through the courts. In doing so, they cited one eye-catching piece of evidence: Lamar’s Super Bowl show.

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“Delaying discovery would unfairly prejudice plaintiff, who is continuing to suffer the consequences of UMG’s defamatory campaign,” Drake’s lawyers wrote. “At the same time UMG has been delaying here, UMG launched new campaigns to further spread the defamatory content, including at the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show, which had over 133.5 million viewers.”

Drake’s motion, filed last week, was the lawsuit’s first reference to the halftime show, in which Lamar avoided saying the word “pedophile” but otherwise directly attacked his rival. Since the Super Bowl, industry watchers have speculated over whether Lamar’s performance might spark additional legal claims or be used as fresh legal ammo by Drake’s legal team.

Lamar released “Not Like Us” last May amid a high-profile beef with Drake that saw the two stars exchange stinging diss tracks. The song, a knock-out punch that blasted Drake as a “certified pedophile” over an infectious beat, eventually became a chart-topping hit in its own right.

In January, Drake sued UMG over “Not Like Us,” claiming the label had defamed him by boosting the track’s popularity. The lawsuit, which doesn’t name Lamar himself as a defendant, claims that UMG “waged a campaign” against its own artist to spread a “malicious narrative” about pedophilia that it knew to be false.

UMG has strongly denied the lawsuit’s allegations, saying that it would be “illogical” for the company to conspire against one of its own artists in whom it had made a “massive” investment.

“We have not and do not engage in defamation—against any individual,” UMG said in its statement. “At the same time, we will vigorously defend this litigation to protect our people and our reputation, as well as any artist who might directly or indirectly become a frivolous litigation target for having done nothing more that write a song.”

In the lead up the Super Bowl, it was unclear if Lamar would play the song under a cloud of looming litigation. But when he took the stage on Feb. 9, he mocked the lawsuit and rapped the song’s key lyrical insults, including the line, “say, Drake, I hear you like ’em young.”

In a motion last month, UMG’s attorneys asked Judge Vargas to postpone the April hearing, arguing that the company would soon move to dismiss the case and that any exchanges of evidence (known as discovery) would be “premature” if the case were going to be tossed out entirely.

Drake’s lawyers quickly responded, claiming UMG was unfairly trying to halt the case without actually asking the judge: “UMG has neither moved to dismiss nor moved for a stay of discovery, and its attempt to achieve the latter by delaying the former are inappropriate.”

On Tuesday, Judge Vargas sided with Drake’s team, saying that it is “not the practice of this Court to routinely stay discovery pending the outcome of a motion to dismiss.” She said that UMG can seek to postpone discovery at the hearing, which is now set for April 2.

04 Mar 2025

Rapper G$ Lil Ronnie & 5-Year-Old Daughter Killed in Shooting at Car Wash

Rapper G$ Lil Ronnie and his 5-year-old daughter were killed in a double-shooting on Monday morning (March 3) in Texas.

According to local affiliate Fox 4, Lil Ronnie (born Ronnie “Chuckie” Smith) and his daughter, R’Mani, were identified by family members as victims of the shooting at a car wash in Fort Hills. Police say both were pronounced dead at the scene.

R’Mani had just celebrated her fifth birthday a day before the shooting, according to the family.

“He was a rapper. He didn’t bother nobody. He didn’t target nobody. He was a family man, and he was going around rapping, OK. Why would you target him?” said the rapper’s aunt, Stella Houston, told Fox 4. “Cleaning the car out, and somebody came through shooting and killed him and the baby. And a baby. His baby. A baby!”

According to a press release Forest Hill Police Department shared with Billboard that did not identify the victims, two suspects — who were described as Black men in jeans and gray sweaters — exited a Kia and approached the victim’s vehicle, which was parked at a bay in the car wash, before the suspects opened fire and fled the scene.

Law enforcement attempted “life-saving measures” on both victims, who were later pronounced dead at the scene, per the Forest Hill PD. An arrest warrant has been issued for one of the suspects, who has been identified.

G$ Lil Ronnie’s last album arrived with his Literally project in 2023.